802% ABOVE THE NORM (Poland, 1940-1960)

In the 1950s, at the dawn of Polish socialism, Nowa Huta was thrown up near Cracow. This new Polish city was to be the manifestation of the socialist ideal. The residents were brought there from rural areas in order to work at the Lenin Steel Works, in an environment full of propaganda. Nowa Huta was the model for the birth of a New Pole. Henryk Makarewicz and Wiktor Pental photographed daily life in Nowa Huta, something which was expressly against the rules. The results landed in a drawer for a half century. Ultimately Nowa Huta would play a large role in the resistance against the communist authorities and as the home base for the labour union Solidarity. Especially a years-long campaign for the construction of a church in the city proved to be the stimulus for national reforms in the late 1960s. The title of the photo series, 802% ABOVE THE NORM is ironic. It refers to the ridiculous production figures that were announced as propaganda. Because of their emphasis on the daily life in Nowa Huta, the photographs could not be shown publicly under communism.